A while back I had breakfast with Hunter Kemper (member of the United States Olympic Triathlon Team). He spoke in front of the group of us, and then stayed a while afterward for us to engage in a more directed and (for me anyway) specific question and answer period.
No doubt he’s a successful triathlete – his stories meaningful, complex and humorous – so when we asked about “athletes, competing and recovery” my ears perked up! I’ve raced a dozen or so times a year over the past 6 years. In 2007 I’ll have completed a 1/2 Ironman, a few Olympic-distance triathlons, several running races and a couple of other events. In my previous experience, I had a “recovery plan,” so as Hunter started talking about his plan I knew I was interested in what he had to say.
Well, what I heard shocked me. You see, previously, I had taken time off after every event. Sometimes, as much as a week. If I raced on a Saturday, I might not work out again until Wednesday, or even Friday! Well, Hunter says that if he races on Sunday, he “only” runs for about an hour on Monday.
Tuesday, he probably practices in all three events, just at a lighter load. By Wednesday, he shared, he’s back into full training mode.
Ok, so if I can guess, you’re reading this thinking, “Yeah, but he’s a professional!” Well, let me let you know how my mind works.
As he was telling us about his athletic efforts – racing, training, recovery, etc – I was doing what I always do: Looking for connections outside of sport to understand the philosophy.
I hit upon it quickly: How often to knowledge workers “put off” doing something that advances their cause, encourages development and growth, and improves their work/life balance? There’s always something “stressful” (take my word for it, a triathlon stresses everything…mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually). The key to professional growth is to grow out of, away from, and because of that stress. And, that happens during and after the recovery process.
So, if you have a stressful day, night, weekend or business trip...get back up the next day and do SOMETHING to further the cause.
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